(Link to LGBTQ Nation.)

A judge in Detroit has sided with a business that fired a transgender woman, ruling R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes did not violate the law when it fired Aimee Stephens after she announced that she’d be dressing in gender appropriate attire as part of her transition from male to female.

In his opinion giving the funeral home summary judgement and tossing out Stephens’ lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Sean Cox wrote that the civil rights of the funeral director and embalmer who had worked for the Garden City, Mich. based business for six years did not supercede the religious freedom of the funeral home’s owners.

The dress code for male men born as boys is suits. The individual was both the embalmer and funeral director, and helped families with their trauma. Perhaps seeing the otherwise male funeral director wearing a dress, makeup and sensible size 13 pumps would be difficult for the bereaved.

“The court finds that the funeral home has met its initial burden of showing that enforcement of Title VII, and the body of sex-stereotyping case law that has developed under it, would impose a substantial burden on its ability to conduct business in accordance with its sincerely held religious beliefs,” Cox wrote.